Article clutching attachment for a mobile jack



Oct. 11, 1960 H. s. CHURCH 2,955,819

' ARTICLE cw'rcumc ATTACHMENT FOR A MOBILE JACK Filed April 16, 1957 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

1531 514 .5. Church. BY

H TTKS Oct. 11, 1960 H. s. CHURCH 2,955,319

ARTICLE CLUTCHING ATTACHMENT FOR A MOBILE. JACK Filed April 16, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 11, 1960 H. s. CHURCH 2,955,319

ARTICLE CLUTCHING ATTACHMENT FOR A MOBILE JACK Filed April 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

BY JaroZd 5. Church HTTYS for ease and economy of manufacture.

United States Patent ARTICLE CLUTCHING ATTACHIVIENT FOR A MOBILE JACK Harold S.-Church, 464 Tyler St.,'Monterey, Calif.

Filed Apr. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 653,186

This invention relates to an article supporting and clamping device, the major object being to provide a device of this general kind particularly designed to handle and clamp heavy objects, such as motor vehicle transmissions, differentials, and the like, and which is arranged to'be mounted on a mobile jack, or in a stationary or turnable position on a work bench.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device, for the purpose, which includes an article supporting table, and article engaging and clamp-ing elements mounted on and upstanding from the table; said elements being independently adjustable both vertically and horizontally to conform to the contour, shape, and size of any article supported on such table.

By means of this device odd shaped articles which are not stable or self-supportingwhen in certain positions, may be held in any desired position relative to the table so'that the article may be worked on while on'the table,

and the latter maybe rotated, tilted, or moved up and down or from place to place, without the article-shifting its position on the table.

The device is therefore admirably adapted to be mounted on a mobile jack for the engagement and removal of a part (such as the transmission unit) from a motor vehicle, and which unit--while still on the tablemay then be worked on in any manner necessary, and finally replaced in its proper position on the vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to provide anarticle clutching attachment for a mobile jack which is designed It is also an object of the invention to provide a practical, reliable, and durable article clutching attachment for a mobile jack.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device as in operation, or as engaged with a motor vehicle part, and shown as mounted on a conventional mobile jack.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2.2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the position of a clamping armand the corresponding compressor unit when the arm-mounted pin is first engaged with a part to be clamped.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but shows the final clamping position of the arm and compressor unit.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a compressor unit as detached from the table and with the arm-pressing rod removed from the unit.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the device comprises a flat rectangular base 1 of any suitable size. base may rest directly on a work bench or on a bench-supported turntable, but is here shown as being removably supported on the top platform 2 of a conven- 2,955,8l9 Patented Oct. 11, 1969 tional mobile jack, a portion of which is shown at 3 (see Fig. l). The base is secured on the platform 2 by suitably spaced bolts 4.

Longitudinal open topped channels S'are formed as a unit with "the base 1 on opposite sides thereof; flanges 6 'along'the 'sidesof the channels at the top thereof overhanging the channel areas. The channel walls are rigid andtogether with base 1-form a work supporting table.

Each channel forms a guide and locating means for a pair of separate work-engaging and clamping units, and since all subunits are of identical form and construction, a description of one unit will suflice for all.

Each unit comprises a rigid arm 7 upstanding from within a channel between the flanges 6, and mounted at its lower end on a'block-like, generally rectangular foot Sprojecting under the flanges 6 and slidably guided by the channel against lateral deflection. The foot, however, is arranged, as'shown at-9, to allow of a certain amount of tilting of the arm in a direction lengthwise of the channel and toward the opposed arm.

The arm 7 above the channel is of channel form, as shownat 10; the open side of such channel facing one end of the table. A block 11 is slidable up and down in channel It}, being'retained at any desired position along the arm by means of a transverse pin 12 projecting through the block 1 1 and through any desired pair of rows of holes 13 provided in the arm 7lengthwise thereof.

'The pin =12 is positioned near the upper end of the block, and a sharp pointed, hardened pin 14 iprojects horizontally from the front'face of the block 11 atits lower end in the direction toward which channel 10 row of 'holes spaced apart the same as the spacing of hole: '33.

Mounted in block 11--and projecting fromthe back face thereof above the pin 15, but below the level of pin 12-is a spring-urgedpin 17, which, at its outer end, engages the back wall of channel 10, and -acts-1f unrestrainedto swing block 11 about pin 12 so that pin 14 is then disposed at a slight upward slope relative to arm 7, as shown in :Fig. 3.

A compressor or pressure unit, which also constitutes :1 Push-pull unit, is detachably used with each arm 7. Such unit comprises a-supporting frame 18 consisting of apair of upstanding, spaced, strap-like members 19 rigidly connected together along the lower portion of their side edges by a cross strap 20, and which strap forms the back of .a'hook'21 arranged 'to engage over the upstanding end wall 22 of channel 5, as shown in Fig. 3.

A lever '23, which comprises spaced arms 24 connected 'attheir lower end by a depending actuating handle 25, is

disposed betweenand pivotally connected, as at 26, at its upper end tothe members 19 of frame 18.

A gripper element G is disposed between arms 24 and is mounted on said arms for free swinging movement by a transverse pivot pin 27. Below pin 27, element G is formed with a sharp-edged hole 28 projecting therethrough at right angles to pin 27 A rod 29 slidably and freely projects through hole 28; said rod at one end being formed with a small head 30 adapted to engage in a socket 31 in the back of arm 7, and which socket may be one of the adjacent holes 16. The rod 29 adjacent its other end is formed with a short portion 32 of reduced size, adapted to engage in a cradle 33 of corresponding size upstanding from the back end of the arm foot 8. The purpose of this feature of construction will be seen later.

A normally slack helical'spring 34 projects forwardly (ortoward arm 7) from the adjacent side of element r so that the points of pins 14 indent the shifting its position on the table.

' When the ork is to be unclamped and removed G, and is secured to thesame, as at 35. A similar spring 7 36 projects rearwardly fromand is secured to-the a length slightly greater than that of the foot 8, so that when the latter is alined with the cutaway 37 said foot may be lifted straight up' and Withdrawn from the channel. a

alongchannels S as far as possible, in order to allow .the article or piece of'work W-to be handled to be re- ;ceived onand supported by -the table without interference; The table is set relative to the work so that intermediate their ends are cut away, as at 37, for

- In operation, the pairs of arms are first retracted 'the latter, if elongated,'extends crosswise of the table.

'Ihe compressor or push-pull units are also removed from r V wise of the table so as to be on opposite s des of. the

the table at'this time. a

'The work having been seated on the table, the different arms related to each channel-are on opposite sides of the work. The'armsare then slid along the channels until the pins 14 engage the work; said pins :being first adjusted vertically so that they occupy proper and desirable work-engaging positions. The pins 15 are thereafter struck a light hammer blow by the opera-tor vide non-slip engagement therewith.

The frames 18 are then hooked into' place 'on the .table, and the rods 29 areslid forward'through the respective elements G so that the heads 30 engage in suitable sockets 31; the levers 23'being held in a retractedv 'hand'tool in the direction indicated at P in 'Fig'. 4, so

as to compress the spring and force element G into The rods 29 are of suflicient length to enable them to engage the related arms 7 irrespective of the position the arms may occupy alongrthe table and relative to the fixed-position or push-pull compressor units.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will 7 substantially fulfill the objects of the-invention, as set forth herein. 7 t

While this specification sets forth in detail the present 0 and preferred construction of the device, still in practice vsuch deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure; from the spirit of the in vention, 'as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is 5 claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A Work holding device comprising a table on which to support a piece of work, arms upstanding from the table in spaced opposed relation to eaeh other lengthwork, elements mounted on and projecting from the arms toward each other'for engagement withthe work, means mounting the arms 'on the table for tilting movement toward and from each other, and a pressure unit for each mounted on the table beyond and in work and proarm, a gripping element swung in the lever intermediate alinement with the related arm; said unit comprising an upstanding frame rigid with the table, a hand lever swung at one end in the frame on a transverse horizontal axis for fore and aft movement relative to the table and its ends on a'transverse axis and'having a hole therethrough at right angles to said axis, and a rod normally freely, slidable through and adapted to be tilted in the hole and arranged atone end to engage the arm at a 35 selected distance above the table; said rod being'adapted tilted and wedging engagement with the rod 29; said rod being held at the time against rearward movement.

While holding the spring compressed,athe handle 25 is pressed forward to swing the lever 23 into frame'18.

This causes the binding action ofthe gripping element -on' therod" 29 to be increased, and'the latter to be pressingly advanced. against the work.

Due to the loose fit of the foot 8' in channel 5, the

arm' 7 is tilted slightly toward the work by-the rod pressure, and the foot 8 is likewise tilted and becomes wedged against longitudinal movement in the channel 5.

iwithgtheopposite aim being similarly engaged by a push-pull or pressure unit, the work is heldfirmly-against the table and cannot slip, than, or tilt relative thereto.

The. table'withj the work thus gripped or clamped to be gripped by the element upon tilting of the latter relativetothe rod. 7 v V r V 2. A work holding device comprising a table on which to support a piece of work, arms mounted on and up- 40 standing from the table in spaced and opposed relation the'reon'may be turned or tilted as may be necessary when operating ion" the work piece,--withou-t the latte'r the table, the spring'36 of, each push-pull .unit is first engagement with rod 29, so that the-latter maybe pulled through element G and disengaged from thearm from said element and the springs.

The rod is then reinsertedin a reversed position, and

the reduced portion 32 engaged'w'ith the cradle 33, as

the rod29 to pull back on thefoot 8, breaking the clamping holdof said foot in the, guide channel 5 so as to disengage the pin -14 on the arm from he W Ikcompressed to release the element G'from its gripping ing movement, and a pin-like element projecting from the back of theblock and rigid therewith in substantially axial alinemen't with the ,work engaging pin and exposed .atits outer end for engagement with a hammer, or the 'like.' r V 3. A work holding device comprising a table on which to support a piece of work, arms mounted on and upstanding from the table in spaced and opposed relation to each other so as to been oppositetsides ofsuch work,

' a block engaging eacha pin rigid with and projecting from the block toward the opposed arm and termimating in a'point 'on its end furthest from the block to engage a work piece disposed between the arms a pivot pin disposedjtr-ansversely of andtab ove -the first named pin mounting the block on the arm for limited swinging movement, and a spring-pressed element mounted in the block and yieldably engaging the arm below: the pivot pin to normallyswin-g the blockcon said pivot pin and ,dispose the workengaginglpin at an initial upward slope 'relativetothearm.

4. A work holding device comprising'a table on which to support a piwe of work, arms upstanding from the table in spaced opposed relation to each other lengthwise of the table'so-as tocbe on opposite-sides of the work, elements mounted on and projecting from the 'arms toward each other for iengagement with the work, enlarged feet on the lowerends of the armsga channel 5 'in the table in which the feetare slidable and arranged to allow'of limited tilting of the arms toward and from each other, and a push-pull unit for each arm mounted on the table beyond and in alinement with each arm; such unit comprising an upstanding frame rigid with the table, a hand lever swung at one end in the frame on an axis transversely of the channel rfor fore and aft movement relative to the arm, a gripping element mounted in the lever intermediate its ends, a rod removably engaged by the element, and an upwardly facing cradle on the foot between the arm and the frame; the rod at one end being arranged to engage the arm at a selected distance above the table and to push on and tilt the arm and foot in a direction away from the frame upon swinging of the lever toward the arm, said rod at its other end being formed with a recessed portion to engage and seat in the cradle upon the rod being reversed in the gripping element, and so that the foot will be pulled upon swinging movement of the lever away from the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cope Apr. 24. Fisher Aug. 8, Froom July 12, Miller Oct. 23, Goldman Sept. 27, Rockwell Jan. 31, Wells June 18, Buenger Sept. 25, Tichota et al. June 28, Drake Nov. 23, Bentley et a1. Ian. 24, Heinrich May 19, Susil Apr. 13, 

